The One Reason You Get PMS Every Month

Cramps, bloating, crazy-making mood swings. Totally typical, right? Wrong.

PMS is the product of hormonal discord. It’s NOT something you should expect to be part of your period. In fact, it’s a warning sign that something is off in your endocrine system.

But there’s good news: simple nutrition and lifestyle strategies can bring your hormones back into balance. If you’ve been suffering from period problems—including severe PMS, heavy or irregular periods, cramps, bloating, mood swings, irritability, migraines, weight gain, or acne—you can put your symptoms into remission simply by shifting how and when you eat and how you support you body with supplements.

PMS isn’t something you should have to endure on a monthly basis. You can, should, and deserve to live a PMS-free life! And the secret to that PMS-free life? It’s all about eating the right foods and taking the right supplements taken at the right times during your cycle.

The One Big Reason You’re Still Struggling With PMS

If you’re here, I’m guessing you already know that the most common “treatments” for PMS (like hormonal birth control) either don’t work or make the root causes worse. They also come with lots of unwanted side effects. You’ve probably tried a bunch of other things, too: teas, tonics, and more. And yet you’re still plagued with monthly misery. So what gives?

It all comes down to one (very) common endocrine imbalance: too much estrogen and too little progesterone. Why are so many of us high in estrogen and low in progesterone (and feeling the effects of this imbalance every month)? Blame it on life in the modern world: micronutrient-deficient diets, chemical exposures, and sky-high stress that elevates cortisol levels all combine to form a perfect, hormone-disrupting storm.

But estrogen dominance can be addressed with lifestyle changes, including when and how you exercise, what and when you eat, and how your self-care routine.

The Best Natural Supplements to Prevent PMS

You can’t spot treat PMS. You have to address the root causes to get rid of it. In order for your body to produce adequate amounts of the right hormones at the right times, you need several key micronutrients:

• Magnesium – Many women are deficient in magnesium because of our on-the-go busy and stressful lifestyles. Magnesium helps balance your 28-day hormone cycle, ease bloating, encourage good sleep, and alleviate anxiety.
• B6 – B6 helps your body produce more progesterone. Progesterone deficiency can make PMS-related symptoms worse by exacerbating estrogen dominance, which is when estrogen in the bloodstream is high relative to progesterone.. Probiotics help the estrobolome metabolize estrogen.
• Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D3 both help promote hormone balance. Vitamin D acts as a master hormone in the body, and healthy levels of vitamin D keep the entire hormone system stable and balanced.  Omega-3s are essential for mood stabilization and for reducing cramps.
• Vitamin E – This vitamin specifically helps with premenstrual breast soreness. As an antioxidant, it protects breast tissue from inflammation.
• Vitamin C and Alpha Lipoic Acid – Both compounds help the liver break down excess estrogen.
• Calcium – This nutrient will help with the mood swings, fatigue, headaches and pre-menstrual acne.

These micronutrient combinations are the non-negotiable micronutrients every woman needs (whether you’re on the pill or not) to keep your hormones healthy and happy.  After researching these essential micronutrients for over the past 15 years, I decided it was time to create five formulations that would deliver these to you every day.

Additional Natural Supplements to Prevent PMS

I recommend that women who are experiencing period problems start by optimizing their micronutrients because this helps heal and balance the endocrine system at its core. If you incorporate these micronutrients and are still experiencing PMS and other problems, I recommend specific herbs. In most cases, you will only need the micronutrients (and not the herbs), but if you do opt for herbs, remember that these are powerful compounds. Use them only in specific situations and always consult a trusted healthcare practitioner on dosage and timing.

• Vitex – This powerful supplement has been used by women for a long time. Vitex increases production of hormones in the luteal phase and offsets estrogen dominance by supporting your pituitary gland to make more progesterone on its own.
• Dong Quai – This adaptogen is known as a general tonic for all women and called the female ginseng. Dong quai has muscle relaxing effects and is pain relieving for all those pre-period cramps and aches. Important note!  This powerful supplement should not be used during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or if you have a family history of female cancers.
• Evening Primrose Oil – this supplement has been extensively researched as an aid for hormone balance. Evening primrose oil can help with cramps, aches and pains, and headaches in the luteal phase.

Restore Your Micronutrients, Rebalance Your Hormones, and Remove PMS From Your Life

So now that you know what you’re missing, it’s time to get it all back. But how? First and foremost, food is your foundation. No single supplement can solve your PMS alone. But, there are some key supplements that will, when used in conjunction with the FLO protocol (particularly the specific foods that support your body during the luteal phase), help speed alleviation of PMS symptoms and prevent future suffering.

Once you have your PMS-fighting foods sorted out, as well as your PMS-preventing nighttime routine and PMS-banishing morning routine, you can start with the natural supplements.

Whether you’re trying to get rid of pesky PMS, offset the effects of synthetic birth control hormones, improve a diagnosed condition like PCOS, Fibroids, etc, or improve your fertility, making sure you’ve optimized key micronutrients make a good “insurance policy” against hormonal discord and all the crummy symptoms that come with it.

Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!

Love,

Alisa

Introducing the BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit

You’ve been asking me for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:

Click here to learn more about the brand-new BALANCE Supplement Kit.